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Digital Energy
Fast, easy configuration and powerful tools decrease setup
and configuration effort
Centralized monitoring, SCADA control and data collection
for greater resource efficiency and fault analysis
Highly scalable system implementation capabilities with
real-time data acquisition and control
Full integration of data into the utility enterprise, including
plant archives and advanced data handling capabilities and
analysis
Centralized onsite and remote access/viewing capabilities
User interface presentation in multiple languages
User-friendly, full-featured graphics editor with extended
graphics functionality, including support for image
importing to create customized displays
PowerLink Advantage Configuration Toolkit (PACT) provides
an intuitive and intelligent environment to easily create and
configure database points and devices
Enhanced security options and configurable user and group
role-based security
Advanced data handling capabilities and analysis via SQL
Server 2008 R2 and the GE CIMPLICITY v8.1 HMI engine
Comprehensive alarm management offering superior
filtering, sorting, stacking and organizing
Flexible, wide array of trend displays, including XY plots
Support for industry standard DNP3 protocol over
communications such as serial, TCP/IP, UDP/IP
Communications channel redundancy
PowerLink Advantage (PLA) from GE Digital Energy is a Human Machine Interface (HMI) solution for high point count requirements
providing an up-to-date, live view of the substation in near real-time. The system is designed to perform Master functionality to one
or more field devices and provides a means to remotely control and obtain data from them. As a local substation HMI, PC-based Small
Master Station, PLA aggregates and intelligently presents relevant real-time and historical data in easy to understand, customizable
graphical format with features such as alarm and dynamic text displays to increase operator efficiency.
PLA has optional features such as Power Quality and Digital Fault Recording capabilities that can be added to further extend system
awareness and provide indispensable information for in-depth analysis and informed decision making. Furthermore, PowerLink
Advantage provides additional language support for French, Russian and Spanish user interfaces through available language packs.
Key Features
Key Benefits
Comprehensive view and control of the substation to increase operator efficiency
PowerLink

Advantage
Powerful and Scalable SCADA
HMI Platform
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PowerLink Advantage
www.GEDigitalEnergy.com
Control Center Maintenance Laptop
Ethernet Switch
Ethernet LAN
Protection Relay Protection Relay Protection
Relay
Power Quality
Meters
PowerLink Advantage
(HMI) Server/Viewer
Serial
Connection
Serial Connections
Substation RTU/Gateway
Modem
Features
Comprehensive, Customizable Displays
PLA aggregates from gateways and field devices and intelligently
presents relevant near real-time and historical data in an easy to
understand, customizable graphical format with features such as
alarm and dynamic text displays to increase operator efficiency.
Typical customizable displays include:
Communications Summary
One-line Diagrams
Alarm Viewer
Historical Alarm Viewer
Trending
Detail Pages
Operator Access Log
Operator Notes
Single Computer PowerLink Advantage Architecture
One-line screens for monitoring status, control and tagging.
PLA single server.
PLA provides a complete, scalable, feature rich, secure solution to optimize
resource efficiency and ensure reliability.
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PowerLink Advantage
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Control Center
Router/Firewall
Substation Data Gateway
PLA
Engineering
Workstation
(Development
Viewer)
PLA Operator Workstation
(Run-time Viewer - Dual Monitor)
PLA Operator Workstation
(Run-time Viewer - Dual Monitor)
Ethernet LAN - A
Ethernet LAN - B
PLA Development
Server (Primary)
KVM Switch
Power Quality
Meters
Protection
Relays
Protection
Relays
Fast Load Shedding
Controller
Bay/Automation
Controller Maintenance Laptop
Rack KVM
PLA Run Time
Server (Standby)
Etherner Switch (LAN-A)
Etherner Switch (LAN-B)
Multiple Computer PowerLink Advantage Architecture
Powerful and Scalable Functionality
PLA provides a wide array of powerful and scalable SCADA and
operational functionality to operate and maintain substations at
peak reliability and efficiency.
SCADA:
Full SCADA functionality
Real-time data acquisition and control with per-point quality
and status flags
Operations:
Interlocking
Point tagging and forcing
Time synchronization for field devices
Operator notes
Diagnostic Tools for serial and Ethernet communications
Multi-Monitor support
Full SCADA functionality with real-time data acquisition and control.
PLA server redundancy to ensure continuous uptime.
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PowerLink Advantage
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Configuration
PLA provides both a database configuration tool PACT and a user-
friendly, full-featured graphics editor to easily create customizable
displays and reduce setup and configuration time.
The PowerLink Advantage Configuration Toolkit (PACT) provides an
intuitive and intelligent environment to easily create and configure
database points and devices.
The user-friendly, online graphics editor contains extended
graphics functionality, including support for image importing to
create customized displays.
Windows graphic editor
Windows spreadsheet styles
Smart Objects (animated) library
On-line screen configuration
User Built Displays with animated pre-defined PLA library or user
custom created symbols
Active alarm viewer to increase operator awareness, decrease response time
and improve system reliability.
Easy creation and comprehensive configuration of devices and database
points PACT.
Create screens quickly using preconfigured objects in the online graphics
editor.
Alarm Management
Central to the role of the operator is identifying and addressing
exception conditions with the system. PLA provides a multitude
of alarm notification and management functionality to increase
operator awareness, decrease response time and improve system
reliability.
Visual and audible notification
Historical logging
Millisecond resolution time stamping
Group, area and priority categories
Advanced filtering with primary, secondary, tertiary and
quaternary sort keys
Stacking
Comments
Graphic links
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PowerLink Advantage
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Dynamic trending to clearly visualize substation activity.
Customizable security access and operational permissions settings for
individual users and for user groups.
Monitor communications status with substation devices.
Trending
PLA provides aggregates trending data from substation devices
and presents them in a clear visual format that is fully customizable
to facilitate quick identification of potential issues or to assist in
problem analysis.
Customizable with selectable colors, gridlines and scaling
Real-time and historical displays
Dynamic trending
XY plots
Full database connectivity
Support up to 300 logged points per logging table
Security
PLA provides enhanced security options and configurable user
and group role-based security. The security configuration allows
access and operational permissions to be set for individual users
and for user groups. Furthermore, PLA has an operator access log
to trace operators access and aid in security reporting.
Communications
PLA supports industry standard communications using DNP3
protocol over Ethernet and serial TCP/IP, UDP/IP. Furthermore,
PLA also provides advanced communications and timestamp
functionality.
Polling and/or unsolicited messaging
Communications channel redundancy
Multiple channels per device with auto-failover
Support for dual communication links
Support device UTC timestamp
Support for automatically checking the status of each alternate
communications channel at a configurable frequency
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PowerLink Advantage
www.GEDigitalEnergy.com
Optional Features
Redundancy
Redundancy ensures system availability in the event of a hardware
failure. PowerLink Advantage can be configured with redundancy
so that a secondary system is ready to take over operations
automatically should the primary system fail. During a failure, all main
PowerLink Advantage functions are transferred to ensure that critical
data acquisition, alarming, logging and security operations continue.
Multiple Viewer Stations
Multiple Viewer Stations provide client-server connectivity from
additional computers on the LAN.
Remote Desktop (Terminal Services)
Remote Desktop (Terminal Services) licenses provide access from
remote computers (requires Windows Server operating system).
System Sentry
System Sentry improves system availability by constantly providing
real-time information about the health of the PowerLink Advantage
system. It provides detailed performance data at any given moment
for every resource ranging from available hard drive space to CPU
usage. System Sentry also provides configurable, automated alerts
for problem conditions and the tools for problem determination to
restore system functionality.
Digital Fault Recording Display and Analysis
Digital Fault Recording Display and Analysis is a tool within DirectView
providing advanced waveform viewing through capabilities to set
multiple cursors and markers; waveform superimposition and
waveform comparison functions. It also provides functionality to
visualize harmonic spectrum and perform zero sequence current
calculations. IEEE COMTRADE file compatible.
Alarm Cast
Alarm Cast provides integration of PowerLink Advantage alarms for
remote notification through a variety of channels such as internet,
mobile and PC media including pagers, SMS, email, ODBC, UCP and
more. The notification can contain key operational information and
conditions.
Reporting
PLA makes it easy to generate the reports based on a timed or
event basis. The report viewer allows quick, convenient access to
any report.
Power Quality Event Viewer
Power Quality Event Viewer provides sag, swell and interruption
plots.
DirectView
DirectView provides a Digital Fault Recording (DFR) COMTRADE
file viewer and analysis application. DFR COMTRADE files are
automatically retrieved from compatible field devices connected
via Ethernet LAN.
GE Automation Projects
Complete Solution for Complex Substation Automation
Systems
GE Automation Projects delivers a complete solution for utilities
and Industrial customers to address challenges in managing all
aspects of increasingly complex substation automation systems:
Substation Engineering
Protection, Control and Automation
Communications
Cyber / Physical Security
Data Management
Enterprise System Operations
Standards-based Solutions
In todays enterprise there are many publishers and subscribers
of data. While all the requirements of a traditional substation
automation system project are relatively unchanged with respect
to solid power engineering practices for protection control and
automation, there are many new requirements being introduced
to the integration of systems and devices at the substation
level, and the need to achieve interoperability and integration
many enterprise applications for the purposes of security, data
warehousing, and compatibility with international standards such
as IEC 61850.
Comprehensive Solutions and Services Offerings
GE delivers a complete modern substation automation solution
based with deep knowledge and expertise in best in class products;
configuration tools, and industry standards with the following
offerings:
Automation Projects Managed Solutions
The GE Automation Projects team provides complete end-to-end
system solutions including Hardware, Software and Resources
from initial evaluation to ongoing Maintenance and Support.
Automation Projects Technical Services
From initial Site Evaluation to ongoing maintenance of the system,
the GE Automation projects team provides services for the
complete lifecycle of a solution.
Site Evaluation
Consultation
System Design
Project Management
Procurement
System component assembly
Configuration and Commissioning Services
System Testing
Training
Lifecycle Support of System
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PowerLink Advantage
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System Requirements Development/Runtime Server
COMPONENT REQUIREMENT
Supported Operating Systems Windows

XP Pro SP3 32 bit

Server 2008 SP2 32 bit

7 -32 bit
Computer and Processor Minimum:
Pentium IV 3 GHz processor or higher
DVD-ROM drive
Mouse (minimum two buttons)
Keyboard
Speakers (to support audible alarms)
Recommended (Server):
Processor: Quad-core Intel Xeon processor E3-1200 product family or Dual-core Intel
Core processor i3-2100 product family
8 GB Memory
500 GB 7.2K RPM SATA 3.5 Hot Plug Hard Drive
RAID Controller, RAID 1, 2 HD
Network Adapter: Intel PRO 1000PT 1GbE Single Port NIC, PCI (for single LAN), Intel PRO 1000PT
1GbE Dual Port NIC, PCI (for Dual LAN)
USB Keyboard and Optical Mouse
Memory 2 GB of RAM (minimum), 8 GB (recommended)
Hard Disk 4 GB of free hard disk space for installation (additional space required for project configuration)
Display Minimum 17 monitor, with 1280 x 1024 resolution, 16-bit color
Connectivity Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) Single Port (for single LAN), Dual Port (for Dual LAN)
Other N/A
111213-v12
PowerLink Advantage
System Requirements PLA Viewer
COMPONENT REQUIREMENT
Supported Operating Systems Windows

XP Pro SP3 32 bit

Server 2008 SP2 32 bit

7 -32 bit
Computer and Processor Minimum:
Pentium IV 3 GHz processor or higher
DVD-ROM drive
Mouse (minimum two buttons)
Keyboard
Speakers (to support audible alarms)
Recommended:
Processor: Intel Core2 Quad; Intel Core2 Duo; Intel Pentium Dual Core; Intel
Celeron Dual Core; Intel Celeron
4 GB Memory
500 GB 7.2K RPM SATA 3.5 Hard Drive
Network Adapter: Ethernet 10/100/1000 Single Port (for single LAN), Dual Port (for Dual LAN)
USB Keyboard and Optical Mouse
Memory 2 GB of RAM (minimum), 8 GB (recommended)
Hard Disk 4 GB of free hard disk space for installation (additional space required for project configuration)
Display Minimum 17 monitor, with 1280 x 1024 resolution, 16-bit color
Connectivity Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) Single Port (for single LAN), Dual Port (for Dual LAN)
Other N/A
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Digital Energy
SQL Server is a registered trademark of Microsoft.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft.
IEEE is a registered trademark of IEEE.
Pentium is a registered tademark of Intel.
Xeon is a registered trademark of Intel.
Quad-core is a registered trademark of Intel.
North America/Worldwide
215 Anderson Ave.
Markham, ON,
Canada L6E 1B3
Toll Free (NA Only): 1-800-547-8629
Tel: 905-294-6222
Fax: 905-201-2098
email: gemultilin@ge.com
Europe/Middle East/Africa
Avenida Pinoa 10-48170
Zamudio (Vizcaya), Spain
Tel: +34 94 485 88 00
Fax: +34 94 485 88 45
email: gemultilin.euro@ge.com
Asia
Floor22-24, No 900 Yishan Rd.
Scientific Building C
Shanghai, 200233, China
Tel: +86-21-2401-3208
Fax: +86-21-5423-5080